Cebu Salsa Club stays strong and vibrant in its 13th year

CEBU, Philippines — When Cebu Salsa Club held its first social dancing class a decade ago, only around ten people attended. This small turnout was enough to encourage founders Barbie Alonzo, Kevin Sato, Jilly Enriquez, and John Monteith knowing that there were at least a few in Cebu interested in salsa, bachata, kizomba, and zouk.

“When we started, nobody knew what Salsa Nights was. People thought it was ballroom dancing, so we explained to them the concept of social dancing. People liked it and understood it. Because of that, people all over Cebu and even outside are participating in our salsa nights,” said Enriquez.

Fast forward to June 26, 2024, Cebu Salsa Club celebrated its 13th anniversary at Maya Mexican Restaurant in Crossroads Mall, Cebu City. The restaurant’s top floor was filled with dancers from diverse backgrounds, making it a special occasion even though it was a regular salsa night for the club members.

For frequent member Hanski Garcia, hearing “Despacito” that night brought back memories as it was one of the first songs she heard when she joined the club’s social dancing nights.

“It is a stress reliever for me, especially after a long day at work. It allows me to express myself creatively and relax,” said Garcia on why she joined Cebu Salsa Club.

She was also drawn to the group because her love for singer Enrique Iglesias made her want to enjoy his music through dance.

“I am not a natural dancer, but I love the music, especially from Enrique Iglesias. I was fangirling and loved his songs, especially when they’re interpreted in dance here at Maya with the Cebu Salsa Club coaches,” she said.

When Fil-Am Jodd Parca moved from Los Angeles to Cebu, he was eager to find a community of local dance enthusiasts. A search on Facebook led him to join the Cebu Salsa Club.

“There are a lot of salsa groups in LA. But what makes Cebu Salsa Club unique is that we do a lot of dances. A lot of dance clubs in LA do specific types like bachata, but here we do a variety of dances and we are accommodating to beginners,” Parca said.

Allieyah Desamparado, a recent member who joined in 2023, was looking for a community where she could belong as a transgender woman. She appreciated that the dances were gender-neutral.

“I feel accepted and included because in the dances, our term [for the partners] is ‘lead and follow,’ not male or female. Because of that, when I go dancing, it’s just dancing for me,” Desamparado said, noting that she liked being the “lead” in zouk but preferred being a “follow” in other dances.

“When I dance to salsa, it’s more energetic and fun. When I dance to bachata, it’s more sensual and feeling sexy. Zouk is about building connections,” Desamparadp added.

Cebu Salsa Club’s Salsa Nights take place thrice a week on Sundays and Wednesdays at Maya and Tuesdays at Barrio Bar & Lounge. The club aims to flourish the local social dancing community.

“It’s a great way to meet new friends and expand your circle. It also helps you exercise the creative part of your mind. It’s proven in studies that dancing is one of the highest activities beneficial to your body and brain,” Enriquez said.

The founders also emphasized that social dancing helps network with foreigners as they travel overseas to countries with an active social dancing scene.

“They learn how to dance so they can dance anywhere when they travel. We have connections with other clubs outside the country. Everywhere you go, you will find someone that is connected somehow through social dancing,” Monteith added.

The Abaca Group-owned Maya has been Cebu Salsa Club’s partner for ten years. The restaurant, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, has provided a welcoming venue for the club’s events.

“Cebu Salsa Club is family to us. It’s been a staple for Maya, and we really wanted to express our hospitality to them. We love to cater to their members. We are happy that they reached this milestone during the time they’ve been working with us,” said Maya’s mixologist Frederick Robin Obach, who has witnessed several of the Salsa Nights himself.

A successful social dancing night isn’t complete without the right music. Besides coaching, Monteith also DJs for the club under his stage name El Camino.

“It’s about feeling the crowd. Sometimes, you might have more salsa dancers than bachata dancers in one night. We just play along with the music and read the crowd. It’s the crowd that’s bringing the vibe, so we work off from that,” Montieth said.

“If there are beginners, we play more of the easier songs. If there are a lot of high-level dancers, we add in the more complicated music.”

Outside of the social dance parties, the club conducts workshops for members who want to learn more about dancing in a non-club setting.

“It’s best to go to the workshops because the bonding in these classes is so much different,” said Coach Aileen, who has a background in social dancing from Singapore which has a long-standing community.

Details about their workshops, as well as their Salsa Nights, can be found on Cebu Salsa Club’s Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/CebuSalsaClub/)

Earlier this year, Cebu Salsa Club organized the weekend-long Cebu SBKZ International Festival in Cordova, attracting hundreds of delegates from all over the world. The success of this event was particularly significant as it was their first large-scale event since the pandemic.

“We were so happy with the turnout. We had four years of no activities, so we didn’t know what the response would be like since other countries opened their doors earlier than we did and had their own festivals already,” Enriquez said, adding that they will hold their next festival in April 2025.